May 2025 Challenge Response – JoLa

[JoLa]

Each lesson or project brings at least one (but usually more) light bulb moment(s) for me. I thought I’d mention a few 💡💡💡 while working on EP579, the one where Brian composed a one string lead and encouraged us to get away from scale patterns and just follow our ear in order to learn to recognize the intervals while improvising.

However; for this challenge response, I was just going to play Brian’s rhythm and lead parts, his one string solo was challenging enough. And then, on the day of the recording it occurred to me – an a-ha! moment, I guess! – that I should try to actually improvise a bit on one string in the spirit of the lesson and so I did just that, off the cuff. A bit shaky but I decided to include that as well.

When it comes to a breakthrough, I believe I just had one big one and I can’t think of anything else that comes even close. As always, I’m looking forward to watching all your submissions, I’m sure I will learn a lot!

🎸JoLa

[KT]

Wow great submission!!
Enjoyed it immensely. Easy to listen to while relaxing and great tone from the box guitar.
I will be watching again to learn more.
KT

[Richard G]

Thoroughly enjoyed that JoLa, loved the first percussive style, you’ve got that down so well, followed by some really creative single-string improvisation. Super challenge.

Richard

[Alan L]

solid rhythm , very groovy. The lead is quite melodic, and the slides and trills are a clever way to add interest. Well played

[Michael L]

Ah, Jola, what a wonderful piece of music. Loved it! Your creativity and musicality are at such a high level, an inspiration to all of us. Your melody had some amazing note choices that just cut right through to the heartstrings. I didn’t hear any rough spots, I just enjoyed the whole thing. I’ll have to watch again to read your text comments… the music took me away the first time through. So well done!

[JoeD1]

This sounded beautiful to me Jola. That little guitar has a big beautiful voice. I whole heartedly agree with your one big game changer!

Joe

The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
--Graeme Edge

[James B]

I’m not surprised that you chose this lesson, JoLa. You’ve mastered this technique and now improvising over it also. Great sound from your little guitar.

James

[AndréM]

Ok JoLa, when you started playing the rhythm part, I was thinking where did I heard that?
But it finally came to me ah! the one chord solo,lol
You played both parts nicely.
Awesome.

AndréM

AndréM

[sunjamr]

Very cool! Playing a melody line on one string is super useful to develop that intuition about where your next good note will be. I remember I started my one-string journey with Happy Birthday, which is harder than you might think to play on one string. BTW, your guitar is quite large compared to my Taylor Baby……. And next time you are in your local guitar store, you should try out a baritone uke. They are excellent for one-string noodling, dyads, triads, and jazz chords.

Sunjamr Steve

[Wayne Nunez]

Wow that was totally awesome,very well played love the looping and that guitar is nice,but your playing was the best part!

[Laurel C]

Great video Jola with all your lightbulbs insertions. A methodical, well thought story on your journey which was accompanied by your equally well thought out musical arrangement. Highlights from rhythm to the one string lead. So good to see Hazel 🙂, made me realise how I have missed seeing dogs in Am’ers submissions. Agree, with the big game changer. (Nothing would have been made possible for some of us).

[Jennifer D]

Oh JoLa that was beautiful! I think it’s easy to forget how much we are learning until we do something like this and highlight all the lightbulbs!

[Gary W]

Loved this Jola! Nice illustrations and great playing – well done.

Gary

[Denise]

Great rhythm and lead playing. You have gained so much confidence in improvising.
I am amazed about the sound and recording quality. That black Maton guitar looks and sounds so good. I agree with small guitars. It was nice to learn about your biggest light bulbs.

When I subscribed to AM 5 years ago you encouraged me to record myself and helped me to do the first steps.
That was a real light bulb and game changer.
Denise

More Blues!

[JoLa]

Aw, thanks, Denise! I’m so glad I somehow inspired you to record yourself and post!
We would have missed out on a lot if not for your contributions and engagements here! 💕

🎸JoLa

[charjo]

Jola, it’s clear the percussive style is becoming central to your acoustic style and you are mastering it with great effect.
Nothing shaky about the one string lead, it was beautiful.
I’m not sure I could do that one string type of lead totally by ear. I think I would have to at least locate some key intervals in the scale and use a little bit of ear beyond that.
John

[Bill]

That mini Maton is sounding great here. Nice improv that you really got into. And a cool technique at the start to break the chord sequence down into small bits of the chords, dyads and triads. Enjoyable!!

[Martin W]

Really enjoyed that jola , demonstrating all your lightbulb moments into a very concise sounding improv , that percussive rhythm has become your trademark style .
I agree with the smaller guitars they’re a lot of fun to play and project well .
Your Maton sounds great on the recording.

Martin.

[Paul S.]

If there is one thing that separates your playing from everyone else on this forum, it is your “percussive style” work, which is both beautiful and inspiring. (And, for me, so far impossible.)

Even before I ran your video I was thinking that, and your performance here just drove it home. It provides a one-guitar fullness of sound that is hard to match. Your overlaying melody was terrific,

Does your small guitar have 13s? I had a Taylor GS Mini fitted with 13s because of the shorter scale and I can’t say I loved it. My dreads have 12s and my electrics all have 9s or 9.5s.

[JoLa]

Thanks, Paul. Yes, my Maton Mini has the recommended 13s on and I am planning to leave them on. The very short scale makes playing it doable and I am getting used to them. Not planning to do any bends, though!

I have 11s on my GS Mini and other acoustics and I think I will switch to 12s next time around. The main reason I love my GS mini is the incredible playability so I don’t think I would put 13s on it just yet. My electrics have 9.5s on as well 🙂

🎸JoLa

[Catherine Arsenault]

Wow Jola I’m blown away that was awesome!!!! And what a beautiful tone out of that little Guitar wonderful playing and finger picking!!!!

[John H]

JoLa
Incredible sounding arrangement. You manifested insight and clarity along the entire fretboard with a spell binding motif. This is a an extraordinarily special composition. You never cease to AMAZE me. Quit your day job. You are ready for “busking” the Vegas Strip. Seriously, I am very impressed. Keep rocking in the free world and thank you for your inspiration.

[Manfred M]

So many lightbulbs, Jola, even the Greek sun here got a little jealous. In any case, you have provided me with a wonderful soundtrack for the beautiful scenery here in Greece.
And yes you are right, the most important thing is this great community here, kind of like the room where all our Lightbulbs shine and we all enjoy them.

Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
The next Meetup will probably take place in July/August 2025

There will be a detailed announcement here in the forum in good time.

I look forward to meet you.
Manfred

[Mark T]

What a wonderful tune you came up with, JoLa – so many lightbulbs! This really demonstrated what can be done with just a single string solo, and the backing loop combined to make a beautiful performance. – Mark 👍🎶😎

[Dieter]

Really excellent percussive playing. You could listen to it for a long time – great

Dieter

[Pap]

Jola, your playing is always so well done! I like the groove you created in this submission. It sounds great and the single string solo was well done too, I have to give that a try…I see the value in interval awareness. Cheers! Pap

[Serena C]

thank you JoLa for sharing all these lightbulbs, it was like going through your/our journey with AM 🙂 and a superb perfomance!

If I wasn't making mistakes I wouldn't be the kind of player I want to be. Perfection is dangerous.
It's all about taking risks, sometimes you get to some place, sometimes you get to a different place. (Brian May)

[Bob Utberg]

Super cool sound JoLa!~! You can tell you were playing from your heart and letting the lead lines just flow. Nicely done!

Bob U. (aka Bobby Ut)

[Alan O]

Hi Jola, that was beautiful! I love your percussive style and want to learn to play that way as well. Amazing sound you are getting from that little guitar. Great light bulbs! I’ll be watching this one a few more times.

Alan

[Author]

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